Described herein is a method for transmitting a function command between a motor vehicle and a device outside the vehicle. Also described herein is an interface apparatus and a system with a corresponding interface apparatus.
Methods for transmitting a function command between a motor vehicle and a device outside the vehicle are known. Thus, a function command is issued to the motor vehicle, for example by an application program of the device. A locking of a door of the motor vehicle, for example, is effected on the basis of the function command.
It is furthermore known that a communication of a mobile application program of the device with the motor vehicle normally takes place without interruption from one end point to another end point. The disadvantage here is that a securing and testing of the mobile application program is not therefore possible until all components involved in the communication have been finalized. For the testing of the application program of the device in the development phase, it is normally necessary for the vehicle to be provided as the other end point for this purpose.
German Patent Application Publication 10 2009 018 761 A1 describes a method for updating a software component of a motor vehicle. Vehicle configuration information is determined, including at least the information indicating which hardware components or which software components are present in the specific motor vehicle. A check is carried out on the basis of the vehicle configuration information to determine whether a software component is to be updated. A corresponding updating rule is provided and the software component to be updated is updated on the basis of the updating rule.
A method for the commissioning of a motor vehicle with a plurality of electronic units is known from German Patent Application Publication 10 2013 104 892 A1. The actual data status of the electronic units is read out and compared with a reference data status in a data memory. In the event of discrepancies between the actual data status and the reference data status, the reference data are stored automatically in the electronic unit.
German Patent Application Publication 10 2013 216 055 A1 describes a system which includes a processor of a mobile apparatus. The processor is designed to communicate wirelessly with both a remote server and a vehicle computing system. The processor is furthermore designed to retrieve a module version from the vehicle computing system, to transmit the module version to a remote server and to receive information relating to an updated module version and an updated module. The processor is also designed to retrieve battery information from the vehicle computing system, to inform a user of a battery suitability for a recommended installation of the updated module and to continue the installation and instruct the vehicle computing system to download and install the updated module.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2014/0018129A1 describes a method for transmitting a function command from a device outside a vehicle to an electronic vehicle component. To do this, an application programming interface (API) is provided which provides a plurality of valid function commands for forwarding to the vehicle component.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2011/0225260 A1 describes a method for transmitting a function command (e.g. starting and stopping the engine, unlocking the doors, or retrieving the battery status) between a motor vehicle and a device outside the vehicle. The transmission can take place via a portable connection apparatus which provides a communication connection between the vehicle and the device. Function commands of the user are input on the basis of an application-specific connection application which can be stored on the external device and can also be executed there. For this purpose, it loads an apparatus application onto the connection apparatus prior to the transmission of the function commands.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2011/00717348 A2 describes a method for the remote control of vehicle components by a device outside the vehicle. Function commands are transmitted via an external server which sets up a communication connection between a cell phone and the vehicle. An authentication of the interface is performed in the interface prior to the transmission of function commands to the vehicle. The function commands are normally compared with a plurality of valid function commands for this purpose.